Seahawks’ Super Bowl dreams were ruptured along with Richard Sherman’s
Achilles
Originally published November 9, 2017 at 10:50 pm Updated November 10,
2017 at 11:53 pm
Richard Sherman comes off the field with an injury in the third quarter
after tackling John Brown. It’s an injury that’s cost the cornerback the
rest of his season. (Bettina Hansen/The Seattle Times)
Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) lies on the ground after
tearing his Achilles Thursday. (Johanna Huckeba/The Seattle Times)
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Russell Wilson is hit and Arizona is called for roughing the passer in
the third quarter. Austin Davis is put in for Wilson on the next play
but he returns shortly after as the Seattle Seahawks take on the Arizona
Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Thursday November
9, 2017.
Photos: Seahawks beat the Cardinals in Thursday Night Football, 22-16
Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) warms up prior to kickoff
as the Seattle Seahawks play Washington at CenturyLink Field in Seattle
on November 5, 2017. 204037 (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)
Photos: Seahawks lose to Washington, 17-14
Pumpkins depicting both teams are rolled out for Sunday’s broadcast.
The Houston Texans played the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, October 29, 2017
at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. 203964
Photos: Seahawks beat the Texans, 41-38
1 of 3
Richard Sherman comes off the field with an injury in the third quarter
after tackling John Brown. It’s an injury that’s cost the cornerback the
rest of his season. (Bettina Hansen/The Seattle Times)
The one thing the Seahawks could count on this season was the top-flight
cornerback shutting down one half of the field. The other cornerback
spot has been a weak point for the team.
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By Matt Calkins
Seattle Times columnist
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Richard Sherman’s quotes have ranged from funny, to
absurd, to insightful, to inspiring.
He is a walking sound bite built for anyone with a microphone or tape
recorder.
But the three words he uttered from the sideline during the third
quarter Thursday are his most resonant to date.
“Tore my Achilles,” he said.
Seahawks 22, Cardinals 16
Photos | Box | Highlights »
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Good luck finding many 12s celebrating the Seahawks’ 22-16 win over the
Cardinals. That evening put a lump in their stomachs more so than it did
joy in their hearts.
Sherman, who teared up while addressing the media after the game, is out
for the season. And he likely took his team’s championship hopes with him.
“I don’t even know how to address this right now,” Seahawks coach Pete
Carroll said. “He has been just a bastion of consistency,
competitiveness and toughness — just an extraordinary, iconic player in
this league. We’re going to miss the heck out of him.”
Can you picture a Seahawks game without Richard Sherman in uniform? It’s
awfully difficult considering he hasn’t missed a game in his
six-and-a-half-year NFL career. Thursday was his 105th consecutive game
and 99th career start.
But it isn’t his sturdiness that turned the cornerback into one of the
most recognizable figures in the game. It was the combination of
brashness, thoughtfulness and peerless ability.
Sherman knew his team needed him out on the field. If there has been one
weakness in Seattle’s defense this year, it’s lied with whichever
cornerback has lined up opposite Sherman. Whether it’s Shaq Griffin,
Jeremy Lane or Justin Coleman, the Seahawks (6-3) lack panic-inducing
talent on that side of the field.
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Remember when those Sherman trade rumors were swirling this past
offseason? There was a time when it seemed like it might actually
happen. But given the lack of depth at cornerback, dealing him was never
a practical option.
This isn’t 2013, when the Seahawks could have turned to Brandon Browner,
Byron Maxwell or Walter Thurmond — among others — to fill in for No. 25.
Obviously none of those guys possessed Sherman’s talent, but they were
capable enough where the drop-off might not have been substantial.
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And those Super Bowl Seattle teams also had a more potent offense to
take some of the pressure off the D. This one does not.
That’s part of the reason why Sherman kept playing despite his Achilles
bothering since the Rams game in Week 5. He said he knew he would
probably rupture it at some point, but there was no way team doctors
could talk him out of playing.
“Every game matters. You go out there and play for your teammates. You
give them all you got. They deserve it,” said Sherman, who felt his
Achilles pop on a cut while covering Cardinals receiver John Brown. “We
were kind of beat up at corner anyway. I didn’t want to leave the young
guys out there and leave them in tough spots.”
One has to be wary of living in the moment, but this injury feels
catastrophic. This Seahawks squad has never really felt dominant this
season, and it just lost its second-best defensive player behind Earl
Thomas.
The better NFL quarterbacks tend to find a way to post big numbers on
Seattle, as DeShaun Watson proved last month and a slew of others proved
last year. Imagine their salivation levels knowing another side of the
field just opened up.
Whether this injury is a result of the short rest that comes before a
Thursday night football game is hard to say. Perhaps a few extra off
days would have helped. We can’t know, but given Sherman has been a most
vocal critic of TNF, this feels particularly frustrating.
When Thomas broke his leg before the final quarter of last season, the
Seahawks never recovered. Losses to the Packers and the Cardinals — who
scored 38 and 34 points, respectively — cost them the No. 2 seed, which
led to a whooping at the hands of Matt Ryan in Atlanta.
Would Sherman missing the rest of the year have similar ramifications?
Absolutely. In fact, I’d be shocked if it didn’t.
Earlier this season, Sherman told the media that he didn’t get enough
credit for this. He was probably right.
Sherman’s durability was impressive. His capability even more so.
The chances of the Seahawks making a playoff run looks close to
impossible now. Sherman hasn’t missed a game yet, but we already know
his team isn’t the same without him.
Matt Calkins: 206-464-3185 or mcalkins@seattletimes.com. On Twitter
@Matt_Calkins
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